Sending my own fabric to a Chinese Factory

[ElliotD]

Hello everyone. I have recently gotten into the idea of having custom made suits. I ordered one from SuitSupply, and was disappointed with the quality. While the fabric was great, and the jacket perfect, the trousers were a disaster. The thigh was very baggy, and the crotch was just *off.*

So I decided to go a different route- using the jacket measurements from SuitSupply and measurements I took off of a tailored trouser, I placed an order with a Chinese factory on Alibaba. It seemed like a no brainer- I have the measurements, so why not? I ordered a very basic Tropical Navy made out of VBC wool. Compared to what I would be paying for it retail, it was a great price ($230 to manufacture a full canvas suit, plus the cost of the fabric and shipping).

I have high hopes for them as they produce suits for both SuitSupply and E. Zegna. I haven’t received the suit yet, so I can’t be sure of how it will fit.

Considering it all works out, I would not be opposed to ordering more suits from them. That’s where I came across the idea of buying my own fabrics, linings, etc and sending them in. Which is something I’d totally be into- I can get a Holland and Sherry, Zegna, LP suit for a fraction of the price.

That’s where my question comes in- all the talk I’ve heard about for people doing this is with their bespoke tailors, with suits that cost 2, 3, 4k. Would it be advisable to do the same with a Chinese factory?

I would appreciate any help you guys can offer. Thank you!

 

[breakaway01]

Don't confuse what this factory will do for you with what a bespoke tailor does.
1-dimensional measurements like shoulder width, chest diameter, etc have to converted into a 2-dimensional pattern on cloth, which are then sewn together and shaped to make a 3-dimensional garment. You have sent in 1-dimensional measurements.

From their measurements, a bespoke tailor will create a jacket and trouser pattern for you based on their own system and experience making adjustments for your own body. For example, your measurements do not capture the slope of your shoulders, the angle of your neck or pelvis, or whether you have a prominent chest, shoulder blades, seat, etc. A bespoke tailor will know where to place a dart for additional 3-D shaping, or know how to use ironwork to stretch or shrink the fabric in the right places.

What will the factory do with your measurements? They 100% do not have a highly-trained tailor who will do what a bespoke tailor does, and even if they did, they would be relying only on your measurements and not observation of your body. What they will be doing, most likely, is identifying a 'block' or standard pattern that most closely resembles your measurements, and making adjustments to their block pattern. Who is making those adjustments and do they have any training to do so? Unsure. How do you think this factory would succeed in making trousers that fit you better than SuitSupply could, just based on some measurements you sent in? If your body happens to match the block trouser pattern that the factory will be using, you'll be in luck. If it doesn't, you won't. And then it will be unclear whether the factory will have the expertise to make the necessary adjustments for the next pair of trousers.

Still, $230 isn't a lot to gamble. You might be lucky, or you might not. If it doesn't fit well, I would be very dubious that they would know how to make it fit significantly better, so I wouldn't advise throwing good money after bad if it doesn't work out.

Also, I don't believe any retail E. Zegna suits are made in China. Did they tell you this? If so that would raise a red flag for me. The suits that are made for their sales associates are made in China, apparently.

 

[ElliotD]

So, I’m aware that MTM won’t even come close to bespoke in terms of fit. I’m just wondering if it makes sense to get a decent fitting suit with great fabric from this factory.

Also I may have made a mistake. I believe they make the Z Zegna suits. Or at least the suits that Zegna makes in China are produced there. They did not tell me that. I saw elsewhere that they were partners with Zegna. And their name shows up multiple times on SuitSupply import records as well. I don’t mind saying the name- the company is Sharmoon EZ.

Regarding the fit of the suit from the factory- I believe that it may turn out better because 1) when I was getting measured for my custom suit, the assistant told me I would fit into the off the racks well enough that he would do that instead of custom for the next suit. And also 2) the issue I had was with the bagginess of the leg which was, ironically, what SuitSupply changed from their base pattern! So I measured a better fitting pant in hopes that it would fix that issue.

I guess what I’m asking is this- I know the suit won’t be anywhere near bespoke in terms of quality. But will it be a step up from OTR? Or at the very least, will it even be able to compete? Will a suit made with very nice fabric that is put together in a Chinese factory ever be something that looks great?

Also it’s not 230 total- 230 is the price for them to put together a full canvas suit. I’d still be paying for the fabric, which is where the major gamble comes in.

I guess I can update when my first suit comes in from there- it’s nothing crazy, should be like an entry level SuitSupply MTM. Which in a way, is exactly what it is. Just the price difference is where it shines.

Thanks for the response!

 

[William Kazak]

Curious to hear of your results. Where do you source fabrics?

 

[ElliotD]

The factory provided the fabrics from what they had on hand. They didn’t really have such a large range to tell the truth. It was mostly VBC, Reda, etc. I believe they also had some from Ariston, and maybe just one Zegna fabric.

I didn’t mind using them for fabrics for the first suit. I just got a very basic tropical navy, so I wasn’t worried about much.

If I were going to buy fabric to send to them, I’ve heard good things about Fabric Czar in NYC, and Harrison’s online. Not really well versed in this kind of thing to tell the truth. I’d probably take to the Forum before doing anything hasty.

 

[breakaway01]

So, I’m aware that MTM won’t even come close to bespoke in terms of fit. I’m just wondering if it makes sense to get a decent fitting suit with great fabric from this factory.

I guess what I’m asking is this- I know the suit won’t be anywhere near bespoke in terms of quality. But will it be a step up from OTR? Or at the very least, will it even be able to compete? Will a suit made with very nice fabric that is put together in a Chinese factory ever be something that looks great?

These are very difficult questions to answer without knowing how the factory will translate your measurements into a pattern. As I wrote, they will most likely be using block patterns. They probably are not using SuitSupply patterns (although who knows?) so your experience with SuitSupply fits probably won’t really apply when ordering from the factory. They make suits for lots of different retailers from different patterns.

 

[ElliotD]

These are very difficult questions to answer without knowing how the factory will translate your measurements into a pattern. As I wrote, they will most likely be using block patterns. They probably are not using SuitSupply patterns (although who knows?) so your experience with SuitSupply fits probably won’t really apply when ordering from the factory. They make suits for lots of different retailers from different patterns.

Hmm, okay… I appreciate the advice, and will definitely try and update this thread when I get the suit. Fingers crossed it works out.

 

[TheIronDandy]

Hello everyone. I have recently gotten into the idea of having custom made suits. I ordered one from SuitSupply, and was disappointed with the quality. While the fabric was great, and the jacket perfect, the trousers were a disaster. The thigh was very baggy, and the crotch was just *off.*

So I decided to go a different route- using the jacket measurements from SuitSupply and measurements I took off of a tailored trouser, I placed an order with a Chinese factory on Alibaba. It seemed like a no brainer- I have the measurements, so why not? I ordered a very basic Tropical Navy made out of VBC wool. Compared to what I would be paying for it retail, it was a great price ($230 to manufacture a full canvas suit, plus the cost of the fabric and shipping).

I have high hopes for them as they produce suits for both SuitSupply and E. Zegna. I haven’t received the suit yet, so I can’t be sure of how it will fit.

Considering it all works out, I would not be opposed to ordering more suits from them. That’s where I came across the idea of buying my own fabrics, linings, etc and sending them in. Which is something I’d totally be into- I can get a Holland and Sherry, Zegna, LP suit for a fraction of the price.

That’s where my question comes in- all the talk I’ve heard about for people doing this is with their bespoke tailors, with suits that cost 2, 3, 4k. Would it be advisable to do the same with a Chinese factory?

I would appreciate any help you guys can offer. Thank you!

I would definitely wait until I get the first suit, to see how the factory block pattern works for you.

Also, keep in mind that when people supply their bespoke tailor with fabric, this is a very personal relationship. Your bespoke tailor (well, the front office people and maybe the cutter) KNOWS you; they can literally take the fabric out of your hands and take it to the tailors. And your business represents a rather big chunk of money from them, as bespoke is low volume.

In your case, you'd be sending your fabric to a drop-point in China. Noone who handles it is likely to even know whom its for, beyond a order number. It will likely get passed around between multiple people (every handover involving a risk that something goes wrong), and your order represent next to no money for the factory. There is a LOT more that can go wrong, and a LOT less reason for the factory to actually care very much.

So would it be advisable? I would say no. Even if the factory can produce an excellent suit in fine fabrics, their business model and logistics chain will not be geared towards taking small orders of fabric from overseas customers, the way a bespoke tailor can do. If they can make you a good suit at fair prices, it's because they have a good process for it. What you want to do PROBABLY goes outside of that process.

 

[ElliotD]

Great points all around. I think I may hold off on doing it then.
Maybe I’ll buy the fabric now and hold onto it for a later time. I don’t really have a need for a 4 thousand dollar suit at the moment. One day!

For that matter, would you happen to know where a decent bespoke suit in NYC would start from?

 

[TheIronDandy]

Unless you're shopping for a famous name, I would suggest Cad&the Dandy, who are considerably cheaper than other bespoke tailors (due to doing much of the tailoring in-house in their studio in India). I'm a long term customer of them through their sister company in Sweden (same cutters and tailors, but different people doing the ordering and alterations), and I'm very happy with the result. It's still full bespoke, pattern cut in London, and prices are about half of what tailors that do everything on-site charges.

Also, Cads penthouse showroom in NYC is apparently something to see.

 

[theconsigliere]

Alibaba, those factory able to make one suit? I don't mind checking it out

 

[clee1982]

order one and see where it goes, i assume they take order from a lot place so they would have a lot block pattern to work with (not sure if “by contract” they’re allow to use others pattern but either way I would think it’s not hard to tweak so it doesn’t bite or they just don’t care anyway), it’s somewhat of a gamble anyway.

 

[JessBob]

The easy answer, for me, would be to buy the least expensive bespoke suit with less expensive but still good quality materials, that fits *perfectly*. Then send that one in with your higher quality fabrics to the Alibaba factory as a "3D" model to replicate precisely. No worries about one-dimensional, two-dimensional measurements, etc... As long as they produce a basically identical copy of the perfect fitting bespoke suit model, then you should be good to go

After the initial higher cost investment for the bespoke suit, the lower cost duplicates would help DCA (dollar cost average) the cost of your suits over time. You could go with an initial bespoke model with the cheapest materials but I assume you would still at least want to wear the initial bespoke rather than have it as a throw-away, but excellent fitting, model

Of course this all hinges upon the Alibaba factory being able to replicate all measurements from your bespoke model. But if that's the case, then why not?

 

[hugh51271]

So, I’m aware that MTM won’t even come close to bespoke in terms of fit. I’m just wondering if it makes sense to get a decent fitting suit with great fabric from this factory.

Also I may have made a mistake. I believe they make the Z Zegna suits. Or at least the suits that Zegna makes in China are produced there. They did not tell me that. I saw elsewhere that they were partners with Zegna. And their name shows up multiple times on SuitSupply import records as well. I don’t mind saying the name- the company is Sharmoon EZ.

Regarding the fit of the suit from the factory- I believe that it may turn out better because 1) when I was getting measured for my custom suit, the assistant told me I would fit into the off the racks well enough that he would do that instead of custom for the next suit. And also 2) the issue I had was with the bagginess of the leg which was, ironically, what SuitSupply changed from their base pattern! So I measured a better fitting pant in hopes that it would fix that issue.

I guess what I’m asking is this- I know the suit won’t be anywhere near bespoke in terms of quality. But will it be a step up from OTR? Or at the very least, will it even be able to compete? Will a suit made with very nice fabric that is put together in a Chinese factory ever be something that looks great?

Also it’s not 230 total- 230 is the price for them to put together a full canvas suit. I’d still be paying for the fabric, which is where the major gamble comes in.

I guess I can update when my first suit comes in from there- it’s nothing crazy, should be like an entry level SuitSupply MTM. Which in a way, is exactly what it is. Just the price difference is where it shines.

Thanks for the response!

No idea how suit supply works, but you went there to get measured, choose the fit, etc., and your pants were a disaster?
Don't they provide any fittings and offer alterations?
Surely they could have fixed the pants for you?
Regarding the Chinese factory, and your planned suit, how much was the fabric?

 

[breakaway01]

The easy answer, for me, would be to buy the least expensive bespoke suit with less expensive but still good quality materials, that fits *perfectly*. Then send that one in with your higher quality fabrics to the Alibaba factory as a "3D" model to replicate precisely. No worries about one-dimensional, two-dimensional measurements, etc... As long as they produce a basically identical copy of the perfect fitting bespoke suit model, then you should be good to go

After the initial higher cost investment for the bespoke suit, the lower cost duplicates would help DCA (dollar cost average) the cost of your suits over time. You could go with an initial bespoke model with the cheapest materials but I assume you would still at least want to wear the initial bespoke rather than have it as a throw-away, but excellent fitting, model

Of course this all hinges upon the Alibaba factory being able to replicate all measurements from your bespoke model. But if that's the case, then why not?

I am curious as to whether you’ve had any actual experience doing this or proposing a hypothetical. My guess is that you’ll end up with something that fits much better than just sending in measurements but it won’t fit identically. Bespoke suit makers can do a lot more with construction that a factory cannot. For example, how the canvas is constructed, how the lapels are padded, how the shoulders are constructed. Even if the factory could pull off all of these techniques, they’d probably have to tear down the bespoke suit to really understand how it was made.

I also have a philosophical issue with this practice—probably why most bespoke shirt makers now require a minimum order instead of making just one custom shirt.